Cotton
by ShadowBYeBYe
Summary: Blank eyes staring up from a lifeless face. The porcelain skin like that of a doll with hair black like feathers. A single red stream broke the pale face in half as the blood rolled from the forehead down, dipping into the curve of the mouth and disappear
1. Mystery Man

_A screaming shrill cry let out of a pale mouth. Blank cotton eyes stared up at the blood drenched sky. The world crumbled as the body began to convulse. Screams! Cries! The fell of fire peeling back the very flesh that binds one together._

With a tremor and a scream the young man sat up. Years of his life had been seeing other's pain, fear, and learning to live with his own. His hands shook as he frantically pulled his leather cases over his hands. Once the gloves were safely on he brushed his black hair from his face. His eyes wide and searching. The blue eye caught glint in the light and the black one only absorbed it. He pushed his hair back from his face again and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused. There. There was the girl with the cotton eyes.

Toph wiggled her toes in the mud as she took a deep breath. She sank down to the mud on her knees and smiled. The earth was so warm today. She felt Katara walk up beside her and stop.

"Toph, we need to go now."

"Yeah, yeah."The girl stood up and turned her head in Katara's direction. "I'm following you."

His eyes skimmed the land seeing the contours and the depth that it held. His mind hand zoned in on that dim green glow. Cotton. The only thought that constantly coursed through his mind. The girl's eyes looked like cotton. A tremor ran through his body and he fell to the ground on his knees.

_Blank eyes staring up from a lifeless face. The porcelain skin like that of a doll with hair black like feathers. A single red stream broke the pale face in half as the blood rolled from the forehead down, dipping into the curve of the mouth and disappearing behind lips never to be known by another. The ground quaked with the jolting of the body. Pieces of earth tried to pull it in, tried to devour it._

Another retching scream, and the vision was gone. Leaving only the chills and bumps along his skin to prove that it had been there. His eyes looked around. But his mind was fogged. To many colors. To many auras. He took a deep breath and let it out slow. He opened his mismatched eyes and looked up at the morning light coming over the far horizon. He let all the air escape his body and he was still. Slowly, he calmed his heart until it was a distant thump in the back of his ears. He looked back down in the direction he was facing and again he searched. The dim green glow flickered. He frowned and shook his head violently. He focused his eyes back on the glow and found the entire reason for the interference. More glows had joined the green glow.

"Come on! We are going to be late." Sokka growled as he watched Toph merrily walk torwards Appa. Katara rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Where are we going to be late to?"

"We have to leave if we are going to make it before the eclipse happens." Aang popped up over Appa's ear and smiled.

"That's a week away. We have time."

A stabbing pain to him in the back and he fell his knees. The visions didn't invite there selves in this time. They forced their way in, pushing hard and breaking back pieces of him that he had fought for years to regain.

_The arrow was red stained, but moving like lightening. Red-blue blurs in the night surrounded by ice. Death hung thing in the air as the sound of bodies clashing mingled with a cacophony death dries. The sound of someone drowning in their own blood was drowned by a shrill scream, Blood splattered across his vision and then there was nothing._

He pushed himself upward onto his elbows and let the seizure calm and finally stop. More then once he had tried to fight off the attacks but they only became more violent.

Toph stopped and went completely still. Katara turned and stared at Toph. She knew that when Toph went still like that it wasn't ever a good thing. Sokka stopped a few paces ahead of them and looked back. Aang jumped down off of Appa and walked over to Toph and looked under her bangs to get a look at her face.

"What is it?"

"Aang it's time for another lesson. Feel the Earth. Feel the vibrations and tell me what you see" Aang touched the ground with his hands. Slowly he flared out his fingers and pressed his alms flat to the ground. He closed his eyes and felt the Earth breath. He slowed his to set int tune with the it. When he felt like he was one with the earth, his powers that let him bend all of the elements, reached out like phantom fingers bringing into view the animals and creatures that moved along the ground. It wasn't but about twenty or thirty feet back in the bushes that a figure was watching them, following them. Aang clenched his hands tight and cut off the connection with the Earth.

Toph nodded.

"Yep. You seen it." She said and threw her hand back and then brought them quickly in front of her. The ground shuttered and lunged. A figure was thrown forward out of the bushes.

With a flash Sokka's blade-rang was in his hand and he was grabbing the man. Before anyone could say anything a scream started from Sokka's mouth soon echoed by another.

_Blood. So much blood. Small hand covered in the red hot fluid. Those crystal blue eyes of mother shown up at the sky in terror. But no fright hadn't killed her. Fire blazed in the background. A child's screams filled the air. So much blood. So many Screams._

With a sound close to that of a fox-lion scream, the two young men flung themselves from each other. Sokka grabbed his head but his screaming hadn't stopped. The other man sat panting against a tree trunk, his eyes closed tight as his legs jolted. Katara fell down next to her brother and shook him. His eyes flew open wide and they were lost. They weren't seeing her but there were seeing something. Katara shook him hard.

"Sokka!" Katara shook him again. Sokka turned wide eyes to his sister and stared at her for a moment, before he collapsed onto the ground. Katara grabbed her brother and pulled him into her lap. She jerked her head up and looked at the other man.

"What did you do to him!?" The man didn't answer. Katara huddled over her brother leaning closer to the man.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?!" She screamed louder. The man didn't look up. His black hair fell in strands over his down tilted face. He raised a shaky hand, palm up facing her then shook his head.

"Nothing that I have done, will have any further effects on him, other then the damage done before." Aang stepped towards the man.

"What is that supposed to mean?" The man didn't answer as the jerks in his legs smoothed out. Aang went to grab the man, but the man jerked back.

"Don't touch me!" Ang frowned and pointed at Sokka.

"Then fix him."

"I cannot fix a mind in which I did not tamper." Aang growled and grabbed the man by the shirt.

The man grew very still. The young avatar may have been strong but the man was twice his size. The man slowly looked up at the boy, his hair falling away from his face, until the avatar stared into a pair of mismatched eyes.

"Take your hands off of me."

"Fix him."

"Let me up and I will try." Aang let go of the man's collar and stepped back. The man slowly stood up, leaning against the tree. Once he was able to stand on his own he stood up straight. Aang looked up at the man and felt his chest involuntarily puff up.

"I didn't cause the flash back. He did." The man said pointing a gloved finger at Sokka. Toph stepped up and frowned.

"Flash back? What is that supposed to mean?" The man glanced at her only for a second then looked back at Sokka. He walked over and knelt down beside the boy on the opposite side of Katara. Katara pulled her brother in closer to her.

"Don't you dare touch him!" The man looked slowly over Sokka then looked up at Katara. He looked over her face until her eyes met his. She gasp as she stared into his eyes. The man looked back down at Sokka and pulled one of his gloves off.

"I said 'don't touch him'!" The man looked up at her again and in a jerk faster then Katara could react, his hand gripped her wrists.

_Screams sounded through the air. Blood covered the dead woman laying on the ground in front of her and her brother. His eyes were lost. The heat was tremendous and the fire cracked all around her._

The man broke his hold on Katara and she stared at him with tears in her eyes. She stared at him as he stared at her. He was silent and watching her closely. She blinked the tears from her eyes and shook her head.

"How...?" The man smiled softly.

"I'm clairvoyant. Some people call them shaman, soothsayers, psychic. Which ever term you prefer." Sokka groaned and rolled his eyes open and over to look at the man.

"Devil..." His whispered. The man tilted his head to onside and smiled at Sokka.

"I have been called that as well." Toph stepped forward and stopped next to him.

"Why were you following us?" The man looked up at Toph and truly looked at her this time. He stood up with a jolt as he met her eyes.

"Cotton." Toph stepped back away from him.

"What?" The man stepped closer to her again.

"You have cotton eyes."

"Yes, dumb ass that's because I'm blind."

"Then you are the reason I was following you and your friends." But before he heard anything else his world went black and his ears filled with sounds of cracking earth.

_The Earth shook and cracked. It tore apart and ripped. The sound of the earth breaking mingled with the sound of ripping flesh. The smell of blood was heavy and metallic on the tongue and the feel of fire and death burned across his skin. A raven fell to the ground with wings half torn from it's body. The bird stared up at the sky with fogged blind eyes._


	2. Visions

The group watched as the young man lurched. He curled in a ball and shook. They wanted to help to stop the cshaking, but none of them wanted to risk touching him. His eyes flashed open but the colors ahd changed. They were misted over. Katara let out a sharp gasps and turned to look at Toph. His eyes were the same as hers.

She looked back at teh man as he started to sit up. The jolts still ran through his body in irregular waves. He pushed himself back against a tree and laughed. He opened his eyes and looked up at Katara.

She watched with wide eyes as the fogged eyes bled back into his normal mismatched set. She grabbed her brother's arm as she stared at the man. Aang was standing behind her with eyes almost larger then his face could hold.

"Who are you?"

"Many have called Mirage." Toph laughed and crossed her arms.

"Mirage? That's kinda cheezy isn't it." He smiled over and Toph, thought she couldnt' see it. He chuckled and nodded his head.

" I suppose it is. Very well, you may call Keima." Toph cocked an eyebrow and shook her head.

"Is that your real name or another 'people have called me this." Keima pushed himself up and dusted his pants off.

"My birth name." He looked over at Sokka whose eyes were still wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. Keima pushed his hair out of his face and smiled at Sokka.

"Sorry about the episode, you don't need to rush someone until you know what they can do to you." Sokka nodded and took an extra stepp away from Keima.

"I'll remember that." Keima froze and stood up to his tallest. He looked around and scanned the area. He could feel a vision coming on, but it wasn't a force of energy this time. It was slow and creeping. Someone or something around him was setting it off. He closed his eyes and sat down on the ground.

"You have warning." His eyes clamped harder shut as his body lurched. Katara backed away from him grabbing Toph and pulling her back.

_Blue arrows flashed in front of his eyes. Blood was smeared across them. The sounds of crying rung through the otherwise empty silence. A voice in the distance calling for help. The sound of flesh being sticke nfrom the skin. Fire burning into the flesh._

Keima's eyes shot open and he immediately turned his head to the side as his legs continued to jerk.

"Scar..." Katara followed his gaze down a long river. She frowned as she remembered seeing that same river connect with the ocean as they had flown in. She looked over to the man and shook her head.

"We need to leave now." Keima nodded and looked at her. He looked towards the East and pointed.

"There is a village in that direction. You should be safe there." Sokka shook his head.

"Why were you following us?" Keima shook his head as he stood up.

"You are all in very serious danger. I will catch up to you after dark." Toph scoffed.

"Yeah? How are you going to do that?" Keima looked at the small girl. He took a step towards her but she backed away.

"Back off, buddy." Keima smiled. He shook his head. He pulled his glove off of one of his hands and took another step towards her. Toph stomped the ground and sent a rock towards him. He dodged it and moved in closer.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Let me show you something." Toph frowned at him and backed up again.

"Blind remember?" Sokka walked over and stepped between them. Keima smiled down at Sokka.

"Get away from her."

"As I said I am not going to hurt her. I am just going to anser her question."

"Sokka. Let him alone." Aang chimed up. He walked over to stand beside Sokka. He looked at Keima and shook his head.

"See what he does." Toph frowned

"Are you sure about this twinkle toes." Keima set his eyes upon the blind girl again.

"You can see using your body. But let you me show you what I can see without my eyes." Toph frowned. Keima walked up close to her, but this time she didn't back away. He took a deep breath and gently touched her cheek ever so slightly with his finger tips. When he wasn't bombarded with visions he cupped her face in his hand.

Toph drew in a sharp breath as things began to appear in her mind. Glows of some sort. She had been told about colors, was that what she was seeing.

"Oh my god." Keima smiled and leaned down setting his forehead on hers.

Shapes began to take form. Round shapes of the floating colors. There was one close to her that emmitted warmth. All of the forms dissappeared when Keima pulled away. He took his hand away from her.

"What the hell was that?" Toph said. Aang looked at Toph warily. Sokka frowned as he watched Keima. This man was tall, much taller then himself, shapely built, and close to his age. This fasination with Toph wasn't healthy. It couldn't be.

"What happened Toph." Katara ask walking up and setting her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.

"I don't know."

Aang turned and looked at Keima.

"What did you do?" Keima smiled.

"The things you saw were called auras. That is how I will find you. You have a deep green aura. There was an aura close to you, it was a pale red, that is what the color was. That was mine. I can see auras from great distances. That is how I found you tobegin with." He froze and looked to the South again. "I can explain more later. But now I suggest you all get to the village as fast as possible."

"Wouldn't we be safter to go north instead of east?" Sokka ask. Keima shook his head and looked back at towards the East.

"No. The village to the north is Earth Kingdom, but to the east is a mixed village. you won't stand out so easily." With that said her turned and walked into the forest. Sokka shook his head.

"That guy is seriously creepy." Katara grabbed her brother's arm.

"Creepy or not, I think we had better get going."


	3. Keima

Keima watched from the dense trees as they disappeared. He frowned and turned his eyes back towards the group of orange red auras. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He hated Fire Nation. He closed his eyes as the visions crept into him.

_Fire swarmed aorund him.a blazing heat searing across his back crawling up his flesh. Whip after whip of flames lashed out until blood shot form the burns. Tears and blood mingled on the floor and forever stained the stone floor._

Keima shook his head. The visions that were came often weren't as violent. He crouched down in the bushes as the red auras grew closer. Their ship had docked and as he had figured they were heading to the village to the north.

Katara walked inot the village and looked back at the others. They were all still confused and frightened about the happenings that had just occured. Katara noticed as Toph was dragging behind. She walked over and stated walking beside her.

"Don't let that man bother you. He's probably some nut job waiting to scare people." Toph stopped and then continued walking without saying a word. Aang turned around and looked at the girls.

"Are you two okay?" Toph stopped and turned her head to 'look' at the ground. Katara frowned and looked up at them.

"We're okay. We'll catch up." She put her hand on Toph's shoulder and watched as the guys walked off. Katara frowned and looked down at Toph.

"Okay, spill it." Toph shook her head and kicked a rock.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Katara crossed her arms over her chest and watched Toph for a moment.

"Yes you do. That guy. He bothered me too. It's okay." Toph stopped and hugged her arms around her.

"No. No it's not. Katara, he shown me things that I have never seen. That I will never see again. He..." Katara's jaw fell open as a light blush lit Toph's face.

"You like him...?"

"It's hard being born a freak in a weathly family. Everyone thinks that you are helpless, that you cannot do anything for my self. He didn't tell me what to look for he just allowed me to figure it out on my own. It was almost like he knew..."

"Toph, he knew you were blind."

"I know that! But he didn't treat me like other people do. I mean you and your brother treat me normal now, and twinkle toes always has. But..." Katara smiled and stifled her laughter. Toph frowned and clenched her fists.

"What is so funny?"

"It's not funny. It's cute. Your first crush." Toph frown and walked away from her.

"I'll crush you in a minute."

_Misted eyes stared at him. Blood welled up in them and flowed down the small delicate face like tears. A screeching bird sreamed over head and fell to their feet in flames. Screams poured from the soft lips. The screams died but still the face screamed. An explosion was heard and the dolls chest exploded in a rain of blood._

Keima grabbed his head and fought the urge to scream. The vision hadn't given warning. It expolded in his mind with such power that his sight doubled. His head began to feel extremely light as a dizziness took over. He felt something wet running down his chin. He brought his hand up and touched the blood that was streaming from the corner of his mouth.

He shook his head and pulled his cloth from his pocket. He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked around. His eyes hurt and felt as if they were going to jump out of his head. There was a shrill ring in his ears that had yet to subside. He took a deep breath as he tried to fight of the after math of the vision.

This vision had been one of the most power full that he had ever had. Never had his visions had so much of a physical impact on him all at once. And usually the symptoms passed after only seconds. Another wave hit him and flung his head back.

_Hands gripped at him. Pulling him down into the river of fire. Burning sensations coursed through the blood. The river trembled and shook as it tried to envelope him. shrieks of animals sounded in his ears and the popping and bubbling of skin tore screams from those who were drowing._

Keima opened his eyes as his breath came labored and almost impossible. His chest was on fire as if he had held his breath too long. He couldn't get enough air in his lungs. He felt his stomach lurch as the seizure subsides. He fell foward on his hands as his stomach lurched again. A sharp pain shot through his eyes and down his spine. His stomach lurched again and he fought back his nuasea.

His head swam as he got to his feet. He stumbled a bit before he caught his balance. He closed his eyes and tried to see the auras around him. The glows began to pulse, growing brighter then dim. He focused as they grew brighter but all of the colors swirled together.

He headed back to his house. He had to get back and get his crystals. He would be no use to Cotton if he was walking around as if he had caught the sickness. He had to get to back. but before he managed to get very far his vision went black and his legs buckled under neath him.

_Water was above. Cold as ice. figures looked down into the water. Such struggle. Can't reach the surface. An uncontrolled breath spilled the water down the throat like liquid fire. The body flared as the water began to consume, and swallow what was left._


	4. Fright

Sokka watched Toph closely. She was acting different since that man had touched her. What had she seen? What could have possibly thrown her into this state? He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. The man was close to twenty years old, if he was preying on Toph then he was sick and should be killed. Sokka shook the thought from his head as Katara sat down next to him with a bowl of noodles.

"What?"

"Nothing...just thinking." Katara nodded and turned in her seat to look at him.

"You do that alot. Don't hurt yourself." Sokka cut his eyes at Katara and frowned. He picked up his bowl and began slurping up his noodles. She smiled as Aang and Toph sat down across from them. She could remember being a little younger and meeting a young man in her village. He was older and he was handsome and she was deeply in crush with him. She smiled to herself. She got over him of course but that was one man she would never forget.

Aang frowned as he thought over the events that had happened just a little while earlier. The man with the odd colored eyes. He had called himself a clairvoyant. And by what Aang could tell the man was something. He had never seen a person go into fits like that except for once. That was back at the air temple along time ago. One of the boys he used to play with would have seizure attacks. He would jolt and someone would have to hold his heads so he didn't bash it in.

A shiver ran down his spine as he thought about it. The poor boy would throw up while he was convulsing, along with other things. The boy had absolutely no control over his body. That was why he killed himself, or so he heard.

He looked across the table at Sokka who was slurping up his noddles. He frowned as he remembered the terror in his friends eyes after that man, Keima, had just touched him. He turned his eyes to Katara and his frown deepened. The tears that rushed down her face after the man had let go of his arm bothered him. Just what exactly had they seen. He shook his head as he turned to look at Toph. At first she had seemed bothered as well but now she just sat there and stuffed her mouth full of the noodles as quick as she could.

Keima pulled his cloak around him and made sure his gloves were covering his hands. He looked down and made sure that the pouch containing his herbs and crystals was securely fastened to his belt. He took a deep breath and walked into the village. He had crossed the path of the fire nation Scar as he worked his way to the village. He had been wrong. For once his aura sense was wrong. He had counted several red auras, but it was only one man. The man was along with only a pair of broad swords at his back.

A look at him and Keima could see horrible things. Tears streaming down a disfigured face, and blood collecting on the ground around the bowed forehead. So many visions had hit him on this one day that he was confused. Normally the most powerful visions would shadow out the other minor ones. All of the visions though were powerful. There had to be a connection between them. There wasn't a possible way that they all were just random and completely coincidental.

A sharp pressure behind his eyes throbbed mercilessly. He had wracked his brain for an hour while he waited for the vision sickness to pass. Now he was feeling the consequences of such hard thought. He looked up as he came to gate of the village. He hated this village. He hated the people that lived in this village. He hated them because they hated him. They each looked down on him at first because of his physical difference, mainly his eyes and the fact that his skin was completely covered from his Adam's apple down. Secondly they looked down upon him after they learned of what he was. He was a freak. He was trouble. He was called these things because he knew what kind of people they really were. The woman that ran the small orphanage spent the first part of her life as a harlot in Ba Sing Sei. The butcher around the corner was a serial killer that had a taste for human flesh. But you think anyone would believe the village hermit. That crazy kid with the messed up eyes. No of course not. The honorable chief of the village kept his public wife nice and pretty while his three other wives and his extra-marital children slept in hay and were constantly covered in filth.

Keima shook his head. Gai Rute was a horribly nice town. Everyone was so happy to see you, take your money and kick you in the rear as you left. He focused his eyes on the group of youths that he had encountered earlier. He was very relieved that they had taken his advice. Cotton was sitting facing the door. He stood a little ways away and watched her. She became very still. She brought up her blind eyes and looked right at him. Though he knew it was impossible that she could actually see him, he didn't doubt that she could feel the vibrations in the ground.

"Guys? Spots is back." Toph said pushing back her bowl. Katara looked at her and frowned.

"Who?" Sokka frowned and turned around to see what Toph was 'looking' at. His frown deepened as he noticed Keima walking towards them. He growled deep in his throat and turned back to Toph.

"If he bothers you I will make him leave."

Toph shook her head. She stood up as he walked over to them. Aang followed her lead and stood up beside her. Aang was still wary about this man. How could he just start following them out of nowhere then show up just the same.

"I'm sorry. I realized after I had left you, I didn't get any of your names. To my embarrassment I can only recall Sokka's name." Sokka turned and glared at the man. Keima took a step backwards as if he had been hit by the invisible daggers thrown his way. Katara frowned at her brother and looked back at Keima.

"Katara." Keima looked over at her and the memory of his vision earlier filled his mind. A picture of the girl burning alive was plastered in his mind. He nodded her way and turned to look at the bald monk. The blue arrows that graced his hands and forehead brought another memory to the forefront. Arrows smeared in blood as they glowed a bright blue.

"I'm Aang." Keima smiled and nodded. He turned to completely face the young monk. He bowed slightly.

"Young avatar. I have heard great things about you." He turned his eyes to the girl he had been referring to as Cotton. There was no washing the sight of her lifeless eyes out of his mind. He knew that those eyes would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

"Cotton, I don't believe that is your name, so care to tell me your real name." Toph frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Toph." Keima nodded. He turned and looked at the group as a whole. He smiled at them warmly but the smile past.

"You had ask why I was following you. I was following Toph's aura because she was the first body I saw." Sokka felt anger flash through him. He stood up knocking his chair backwards.

"What does that mean?" Keima again took a step away from Sokka. It was overtly clear that he intended to protect the young blind girl at any cost.

"I fear that if I am to tell you what my vision showed me, that you will think me crazy."

"Can't get any worse there, Spots." Toph snorted and sat back down. Keima smiled as he laughed to himself.

"I have seen your torn body laying on the ground as the Earth quaked. Blood streamed from your eyes and mouth. Your eyes were lifeless, and clouded as they may be now they are still full of life." He stopped for a moment and his face went hard. He turned his eyes back to look at Aang, whose eyes happened to be wider then normal.

"You, young avatar. I have seen blood smeared across your arrows and heard the screams of your loved ones as they died. Katara, I have seen your body burst in to flames and be devoured by them." He turned his eyes to Sokka and narrowed them.

"I have seen blood drip from your hands, Sokka. Blood that isn't your own." Keima frowned and looked to the ground. He shook his head as he could almost hear the words sinking into their skulls. He looked up at them.

"I don't like seeing these things. And I don't like repeating them. I wouldn't bother you unless I thought that if you had proper warning, it could save your lives." Sokka frowned. The things that were being said were horrible. Things that didn't need to be said out loud. He stood up and shook his head.

"Why would you want to help us?" Keima frowned and glared at the Water tribe boy. He shook his head and looked back to Aang.

"Aang is the Avatar, and the last of his kind. Toph is blind but an amazing master of her element. Katara is a master over her element without having had any instruction. You are destined to rule over the Water Tribes. Call it a fetish, but I would rather not see those dreams and these people die or worse because I didn't care." Toph nodded and leaned back putting her feet on the table.

"If you have gifts then use them." Keima turned his eyes back to her and smiled. He gave a small nod to the others and looked back at Toph.

"Precisely."


	5. Explanations

"So what exactly are you saying? That we shouldn't attack the Fire Nation?" Keima shook his head.

"That is not the basis of my dreams, but I do see it as a waste. Something will go wrong. In my visions there were tears, confusion, and a pretty warrior girl in a cage." Sokka's ears pricked up at that.

"Suki?" Keima turned to look over at Sokka. He nodded.

"The girl with the warrior's paint. If' that is her name then yes." Sokka jumped up from his chair, Katara grabbed his arm and jerked him back into his seat.

"You could take me to Suki?" Keima looked at Sokka then shook his head. He turned to look over at Toph.

"It would do me no good to lead you to her yet. She would be moved before we got there. She is alive and will be for some time. But I need to focus on helping you evade death, if possible. Toph being my main concern." Toph felt the fire flood to her face, but frowned back the blush. Sokka growled and slammed his hand down on the table, bringing Keima's attention back to him.

"Just why are you so interested in Toph? Are you a pervert? Some sort of pedophile?" Katara stared at her brother with wide eyes. _What the hell is wrong with him!?_ Keima just looked at Sokka calmly. He took his glove off and placed it on the table. Sokka, Katara and Aang all set far back in there chairs as they watched his hand.

"Allow me to show you, Sokka, just why I am 'interested' in Toph." Sokka shook his head. Keima kept his eyes on Sokka as he smiled. "No flash backs, I am focused mainly on one thing. It will not hurt physically." Sokka frowned and reached across the table touching Keima's warily. The man wrapped his hand around Sokka's and closed his eyes. Sokka swallowed hard and closed his eyes as well.

_A blank expression on a porcelain face looked up into the darkness. Blood streamed from the mouth. Dirt covered hands twitched in the last moments of life as the ground began to quake. As the dirt jolted so did the body. An arched back, a sigh of death, and a shower of blood began to fall. Screams sounded through the air. Heat welled up over the body, erupting it in flames._

Keima broke the vision and stared at Sokka, who snapped his eyes open wide.

"Did you recognize her?" Sokka swallowed hard again, trying to fight back a lump in his throat. He turned slowly to look over at Toph. Aang frowned and looked over to Keima.

"What is the extent of your powers?"

"I have visions, and see future events. Upon contact with someone else or if their energy is strong enough I can see their past. I can transmit visions into others, and also.." _**Thoughts if I need to.**_ Aang looked up in the air then to either side before he looked back to Keima.

"Holy horse-cow!?" Keima smiled and sat back in the chair.

"Moo." Aang looked and the man for a moment.

"Could you look into our future and see what is going to be the outcome of the final battle?" Keima frowned and shook his head.

"No because the future is never set in stone. If it was, then why would I be here trying to keep you all from destroying yourselves?" Aang nodded, but then ten thousand questions entered his mind.

"Wait could you look into my chakra? One of my points is blocked and..."Keima's hand shot across the table before Aang could finish his sentence. Aang's eyes snapped shut as he felt a force enter his body. He could feel Keima coursing through his body, searching, looking, studying. The heat from Keima was gone as quickly as it had flooded into him. Keima looked at the Avatar with a smile.

"I cannot unblock your blockage. But It will not come as a hindrance in your travels. Once you get a fire master, he will be able to help you break it down yourself." Aang's eyes brightened.

"He? My master will be a man." Keima felt a sweat drop appear on his forehead. T.T; He shook his head.

"No. I was using he, as a generic term. I am not sure as to who your master will be or their gender." He said with a guilty smile. "As soon as I told you who or what it would be, it would change." Aang frowned.

"But I thought you could see the future."Toph ask as she leaned back in the chair. Keima sighed.

"Yes. But there are things that are concrete, things that are flexible, things that are avoidable, and things that are fickle. Those fickle things are the ones that the spirits tend to change at a moment's notice. And who we interact with or meet or even love, are things that are ever changing."

"Oh." Toph said with a frown. She 'looked' over towards Keima and frowned.

"Just why is it that you focus on me." Keima frowned. He stood up.

"Take a walk with me, and I'll tell you." Toph stood up and Sokka grabbed her arm.

"No. How can we trust him? Toph cocked an eyebrow at Sokka and shook her head.

"Have you forgotten that I'm and Earth bender? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Sokka looked at her and let go of her arm. He glared at Keima and shook his head.

"You hurt one hair on her and I'll kill you." Katara and Aang both turned to stare wide eyed at Sokka. Keima smiled and nodded at him and followed the blind girl out of the tea house. He walked evevn with her in silence until she spoke.

"I am going to die, aren't I?" Keima shook his head but quickly reminded himself that she couldn't see.

"Not necessarily."

"Then what was all that grim talk about?"

"In my visions, yes I have seen your death. It isn't pretty, nor is it peaceful. But the more visions I have that feature you, I will learn more of what is ahead." Toph stopped.

"Why did you show me the auras, and not Katara, or Aang?" Keima shook his head to himself. He looked at her.

"Sometimes a person has to be blind in order to actually see. What I had shown you is a gift that not only I possess. Everyone has the ability to see things as I do, but in the majority of people it lays dormant in the back of their mind. You however are not distracted by what your eyes tell you is there, or what your eyes see. You are able to look beyond the physical sight because you do not possess it. If I were to try to show any of your friends, even the Avatar, they would have a difficult time seeing what they were supposed to if there were able to see at all." Toph nodded she turned to face him.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Why aren't you treating me like I'm a handicap?" Keima smiled, then laughed.

"Because you aren't treating me like a monster. Why should your being without sight be a handicap? If anything it's a gift." Toph smiled.

"I've never met anyone who looked at it the way I do."

"Well, then you need to meet more people."


	6. Stoning

Keima frowned and looked over at Toph. He grabbed her hand and jerked her into a run. She frowned and started to pull her hand away when a rock hit her in the back of the head. She stopped and wheeled about. She 'looked' threw the earth and 'saw' where a rock was picked up. It was thrown at them.S he frowned and threw her hand up throwing the rock back. She turned and frowned as more rocks were hurtled at her. 

"Keima! Where are you." Keima threw his arms up covering his face as he ran over to her. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her. They ran as more rocks were thrown at them, Toph flinging them back. He jerked her into a small alley way. He pulled her into a small crevice and pushed her down behind a crate. He sat down next to her and let out a breath. He brought his hand up and touched his forehead. He looked at the dark red tinted spot left on his gloves.

"Dammit." Keima cussed. Toph shook her head.

"What the hell?!" Keima looked at her with a weak smile.

"Welcome to my world, Toph. Those people hate me. Lucky this time it was only rocks." She frowned.

"What else do they throw?" He shook his head even though she couldn't see it.

"Never mind that. I need to get you back to your friends." He stood up looking around. He turned as Toph stood up.

"Can you sense your friends?" 

"Yeah. Twinkle Toes has a specific walk." He nodded.

"Good, can you find them then on your own?" She nodded.

"Yeah, but where are you going?" He smiled.

"I have a large gash on my head I need to attend to." Toph frowned and grabbed his arm, her skin touching a small gap in his glove and shirt.

_She's Blind. There's nothing we can do about that. She'll have to be taken care of for the rest of her life. She will never be able to be self sufficient. She will be dependant on someone else until the day she dies, and bending is out of the question. _

Toph tore away from him as the conversation between her mother and doctor rang all to vividly in her head. Keima jerked his shirt down over his glove and looked at her.

"Are you okay?" She nodded.

"Yeah, just bad memories." Keima smiled.

"Well, at least now I know where your stubborn streak was born." He stopped as a fuzzy feeling started to tickle at the back of his neck, crawling up into his brain.

_Fire rained down in crackling torrents. Flame spouted up from the houses licking up towards the sky. Screams sounded over the noise as people tried to escape. A female demon dropped down spout fire and lightening from her finger tips._

Keima shook his head fighting back the vision. He turned and looked up at the dark sky. He frowned as a spot of fire came falling to the ground. He grabbed Toph's wrists and jerked her again into a run.

"More rocks?" Keima shook his head.

"No. Fire." Toph frowned.

"Their, throwing fire?" Keima growled as he looked around. He stopped and tossed her into the tea house. Aang grabbed Toph as she fell.

"What's going on?"

"Hell, I don't know! First we got pelted with rocks, now he's ranting about fire!" Sokka jumped over the table hitting the door. Keima stood staring up at the sky shaking his head. Sokka looked up, his jaw falling open as balls of fire arched over the village.

"What's going on?" Keima shook his head again and looked at Sokka.

"I don't know. I don't know how they found you. You need to get out of here, before the female creature shows up." Sokka frowned. He turned and ran back in looking at his sister.

"The freak says we need to go. I have a feeling that Azula is here." They all nodded and followed him out the door. Keima turned to look at them.

"There are four red aura's to the north. You need to make your way to the south end of the village. There's a gate there." He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Sokka. "Take this. It will help." Sokka looked at the small crystal.

"It will?" Keima nodded and gave Sokka a hard shove towards the south.

"Yes! Now go." Aang grabbed Sokka's sleeve and pulled him into a run. They ran weaving in and out of the streets, the sounds of hell behind them. They hit the south gate and ran into the forest. 

Keima made his way towards the north gate. He dodged the falling debris and stopped as a girl cartwheeled in front of him.

"Where you going handsome?" He stopped and looked up at her, pulling his glove off his left hand. She blinked her eyes at him for a moment then shook her head. She flipped forward and stood right in front of him.

"Cool eyes." She brought her hand up to his shoulder and started to clamp down on the nerve there when his hand came up and touched her face. 

_Identical faces stared back at her. All brown headed with the same expression. Identity was lost and individualism was nothing. They laughed at her. They laughed all of them. The sneers that came from the men, the snickers that came from the women. _

She fell to her knees and grabbed her head as the memories flooded into her mind. Keima pulled his glove back on as he ran. He stopped as a lightening bolt struck the ground in front of his feet. He watched as a girl dropped from the gate down in front of him. He stared up at Azula with a blank face.

"No one leaves until we find the avatar." He blinked and shook his head.

"I don't know what your talking about lady. I'm just the village hermit." Azula snarled and threw a bolt at him.

"Did I ask?" He watched her carefully. The flames blazed in her eyes as she walked over to stand in front of him. He mentally urged her to take another step. She was just out of reach. She watched as he cracked his knuckles.

"You're hiding something." She started to take another step forward, he pulled his glove off his hand and readied himself for another bombardment of memories, but before he could make his move the ground opened up beneath Azula. She fell into the hole and the Earth under Keima's feet shot up. Sokka grabbed the boy jerking him onto Appa as Toph threw the Earth back. Toph nodded.

"If what Aang said was true, then you were almost char-broiled." Keima let out a breath and pulled his glove back on.

"Thanks." 


	7. Unexpected Revelations

They settled down in a small stoned in yard to the south of the village. Keima jumped off of Appa and looked around. He shuddered and turned back to look at the others. He shook his head with a weak smile.

"Of all places, you have to land in a grave yard." Sokka stopped mid-jump and darted back onto Appa. He looked at the ground and frowned. There were no headstones, or grave markers. He slid off of the large bison and looked around. Keima was smiling weakly.

"This is the place I have been seeing.." Katara frowned as she and Toph jumped down to the ground. Katara shook her head at him.

"This isn't the place where Toph…" Keima turned his discolored eyes to look at her then looked over to Toph.

"No. I have seen this place in my visions for years. I do not travel to the south of the village much, so I was unaware of how outstandingly close it was." He frowned as he looked around. Sokka took a step back as a fuzzy feeling crawled over him. Keima turned back to look at Sokka.

"Do you have that crystal I gave you?" Sokka nodded dumbly and held it out. Keima shook his head at it and looked back around. Katara put her hands on her hips.

"Just what are you looking for?" She asked as she shook her head. Keima frowned at her and hissed through his teeth, in a shushing manner. She crossed her arms and frowned deeper at his back. Toph could feel the anger radiating from Katara and stifled a laugh. Sokka watched the odd man as he would take a step in one direction, then a couple in another. Aang watched and jumped with a start as Keima started running.

Aang jumped off the bison and took off after the man, leaving the other three dumb-founded. Keima slid to a stop at a large stone tomb, seemingly the only in the entire cemetery. Aang looked at him as he skid to a stop. Keima's eyes were wide and a smile covered his face. He brought his hands up and fanned his fingers out hovering over the stone. His eyes jerked wildly at the inscriptions as he moved.

"AH!" He exclaimed suddenly. He turned to look at Aang, then looked behind him. His face dropped slightly.

"The others did not follow?" Aang shook his head.

"No…you kinda just started running and it was a little weird." Aang said with a small smile. Keima nodded and turned back from the avatar. He looked back at the small panel.

"Aang, put your hand on the stone." Aang looked at the tomb, back at the man, then back to the tomb.

"Are you kidding? You touch it." Keima looked at him with a stern frown.

"This is a tomb. I'm a soothsayer…do you see a problem here?" Aang frowned. He really didn't but he had a feeling that he wouldn't win the argument anyway, so he took a step forward and put his hand on the stone panel. He didn't know what he was expecting. Perhaps he was expecting to be burned, or shocked, or maybe some scary trip to the spirit world. But there was nothing. No demon spirits popping out to eat him, no estranged ghosts. Nothing. Aang frowned and looked over at the other man.

"Nothing happened."Kiema's face dropped as he glared at Aang. He pulled his glove off and slapped Aang with it.

"Nothing was supposed to happen. Feel the rock, there should be a small piece that pushes in." Aang frowned and touched his cheek where the leather glove left a small whelp.

"Okay okay, don't be so touchy." He snorted and moved his fingers over the rock. A small triangular piece gave under his fingers causing him to look back at Keima.

"Here.."

"Push it." Aang looked back at the tomb and frowned. His eyes turned back to look at the odd hermit.

"Okay, is something going to pop out and eat me, scare me, possess me, or anything else that might scar me for life?" Keima smiled.

"Possibly. I don't know." Aang frowned as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"How could you not know!? You see the future?!" Kiema's smile widened as he shook his head.

"Nothing is there. Stop being such a girl."

"EXCUSE ME?!" Keima cringed as Katara's voice boomed over him. He turned to look at her with a look that said he was ready for the tongue lashing. The two siblings and Toph were standing behind them. Katara walked over with her hands on her hips, but was careful to stay out of arms reach.

"I didn't mean..."

"Are you implying that women are weak..." Keima felt his eyebrow twitch. This was why he was a hermit.

"I was merely saying that because he..."

"Because what? Because he was afraid? He was afraid so he was acting like a women?? Is that what you were saying?" Keima shook his head and looked briefly at Sokka, who only shrugged.

"I was trying to say that the fact is women are more partial to fear than men." Katara's eyes grew wide and he felt his stomach drop. There was no pleasing this woman.

"WHAT?!" He frowned and pulled his glove on. With a roll of his mismatched eyes he turned to look at the young monk. He nodded and Aang pushed the small stone in as far as it would go. Keima watched with a certain level of expectation as the stone wall shifted and moved. After the door fully opened it revealed a long dark stair way. Keima turned to the others.

"I hope that someone has a torch?" They shook their heads. He turned to look at the small avatar. "Then can you bend fire?" Again the only response he received was a shake of the head. Keima frowned with unbelieving eyes. "What use are you then? An avatar that can't fire bend." He shook his head as he turned to look down the dark hall way.

Sokka walked up and peeked into the darkness. He heard Keima cough as he turned to look at him. Keima peeked his eyes open after the threat of a coughing fit subsided. He cocked a grin at Sokka.

"Hand me the crystal I gave you." Sokka frowned and dug into his pocket pulling out the small stone. He dropped it into Keima's gloved hand and watched as the stone began to radiate. The hermit turned and held the stone up and into the darkness. He turned.

"Toph, if you would be so kind as to lead the way." Sokka frowned and fought the urge to grab Keima by the shoulder and shake him.

"What are you talking about?! She doesn't need to go first!" Keima cocked an eyebrow at the over protective boy.

"With what reason? Clearly she can 'see' better than any of us." Sokka frowned deeper.

"How do we know you aren't the one that kills Toph? And that you're not leading us into a trap?" Keima's eyebrow twitched. He hated people.

"Okay for one, if I was going to kill her, I would have done it. Two, I wouldn't have made a point in meeting you. As far as the trap, I'll go in first then." Sokka didn't budge however. He only shook his head.

"Well If you don't kill Toph, kindly tell me who does, if you know so much?" Kiema narrowed his mismatched eyes. Truly people he didn't understand. Duck-turtles, now those he understood just fine. Kiema straighted up and turned to look at the Avatar. His eyes moved back to look at Sokka as he brought his hand up, his thumb pointing over his shoulder to Aang.

"He does."


End file.
